Keith Pereira’s star continues to burn bright, with the Country Music rising star showing once again that he certainly is one to watch. His new single, “Drinkin’ Buddies”, is a high-energy, honky-tonk anthem with influences rooted deep in 90’s country. For the release, Pereira boarded a flight to Queensland to work with one of Australia’s hottest country producers, Jared Adlam. The track also features steel legend, Travis Toy best known for his work with US heavyweights Alan Jacksonand Luke Combs.
2026 sees wordsmith & talented singer Greta O'Leary take a new turn - absurd, lively, galloping, perfect to ring in the Year of the Horse! With this new energy comes the rollicking and captivating new single ‘Year of the Dog’, out today.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata (MMAA) proudly launched four new bilingual Samoan children's music videos during Samoa Language Week 2026, continuing its commitment to preserving, promoting, and celebrating gagana Samoa for future generations. The music videos formed Part Two of a collaborative project between Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata and award-winning children's music duo The KaRs, led by Kane Parsons and Regan Taylor.
Australian-based Nigerian recording artist D.Matthews is set to further cement his rising international presence with the release of his highly anticipated new single, “Tomato,” arriving worldwide today.
Join MMF Aotearoa for our June members only online seminar. If you think integrating AI into your creative business means handing over your work to a machine, Emily Makere Broadmore wants to challenge that assumption.
Rising country-pop artist Sylvee is set to release her third EP, Tender, on June 5, 2026. A deeply personal six-track project that captures the complexities of love, self-discovery, and emotional resilience. Featuring previously released singles “Ice Grit,” “Before I Met You,” and “Hell of a Man”, Tender marks a defining moment in Sylvee’s artistic evolution. Tender is a record that feels like Sylvee at her core.
One of the most exciting new voices in Aotearoa hip–hop TîMMY the FIRST delivers a poignant message of belonging on his brand new single, ‘Air’. “This song captures the heart of who I am as an artist,” explains Zimbabwean-born, Aotearoa-based TîMMY. Keep your eyes and ears posted for the video for ‘Air’, which premieres on June 12.
Suzy May is indie rock with a smirk: the story of a new bond that demands your full attention, whether you like it or not. It's not a love song, exactly. “It’s about the tensions that can come about with new connections; there’s intrigue and desire.” Through the enigmatic protagonist of the track, Suzy May, the artist tells the story of that person you know, but don’t really know: the one you keep crossing paths with and clock across the room.
Taupō-based blues-rock trio SONOROUS — featuring Lucian McDermott (Ngāi Te Rangi) (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Khani Te Mete (Bass), and Cooper Paalvast (Drums) — return with their powerful new single “State of a Nation”, — a deeply reflective track that speaks to the pressures many communities and whānau are facing right now, while offering a message of resilience and hope.
Auckland singer-songwriter and performer Omega Levine continues his return with "Sweet and Sour," a release signaling a fresh sonic direction rooted in his Pacific heritage. Following his recent comeback single "All Things New," his first official single in six years, Levine this time blends funk, R&B, hip-hop, and pop with subtle rock influences. Driven by a catchy hook, groove-heavy production, and layered percussion, the track also draws inspiration from Levine’s Samoan heritage, marking the beginning of a deeper exploration into that influence within his music.
Recorded Music NZ tonight revealed the winners of the 2026 Tūī, at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Che Fu inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | NZ Music Hall of Fame, Fat Freddy’s Drop celebrated as Aotearoa Charts Icon.
NOPILOT is a four piece alternative rock band hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand. They boast a charismatic, high energy and genuine performance, selling out their debut show at darkroom in February of 2026. NOPILOT’s debut release “The Middle” is a polished, hard hitting rock song out now.
Ōtautahi-based artist LEE MARTIN unveils ‘I’D CHANGE IT ALL’, the third single from her upcoming fourth studio album, MARLENE set to drop on Friday 26 June. The soulful singer-songwriter and guitarist delivers a moving new tune with her latest single ‘I’d Change It All’, a heartfelt contemplation on the emotionally unpredictable rollercoaster ride that stems from a turbulent relationship.
Following a breakout run of releases, international touring, and millions of streams across Spotify and social media, PRINS returns for her biggest headline shows to date. With multiple chart placements, national radio support, and over 8 million Spotify streams to date, this marks the beginning of PRINS’ boldest chapter yet.
“Down to Chaos” is a high-energy electronic collaboration between established producer MissB and rising Māori queer artist Ardon England—a track born from contrast, connection, and transformation. Created during a time of loss, change, and creative reawakening, the instrumental marked a powerful return to form for MissB.
After emerging in 2022, Wairarapa-raised, Pōneke-based Samoan artist MOZIE has returned this New Zealand Music Month to stake her claim in Aotearoa’s R&B scene with a vibey new tune, ‘Here We Go Again’. Smooth and slow-burning R&B-pop, ‘Here We Go Again’ showcases the strength and beauty of MOZIE’s voice and her relatable and honest lyricism that hits the listener straight in the heart.
Fresh from their induction into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa at the 2025 APRA Silver Scroll Awards, iconic New Zealand alt-country band The Warratahs are set to release their evocative new single, “Quicksilver Days,” on 23 May. The release follows the band’s appearance as special guest performers at this year’s Country Music Honours on 22 May in Gore, where songwriter and frontman Barry Saunders is also a finalist for the prestigious MLT Songwriting Awards with Quicksilver Days.
Claudia Robin Gunn is celebrating NZ Music Month with a new song for tamariki, and the whole whanau – her latest single ‘Shake It Out (No Worries)’ This track is a joyful jam for kids and their grown-ups to sing, talk, and dance out anxiety. Less Worrier, more Joy Seeker is the intention. A musical antidote for anxiety, and a soundtrack to help bring joy, fulfilment, understanding, friendship, kindness, and positivity into our lives.
Join Greta O’Leary (Tāmaki Makaurau/AKL) and Neive Strang (Ōtepoti/DUN) for an evening of indie folk music as they perform their most recent releases, River Dark and Find Me in the Rabbit Hole. Greta will be accompanied by guitarist/vocalist Will McGillivray, and Neive, by guitarist/vocalist Kiera Wallace.
Ben Chavasse will stage a return this New Zealand Music Month, releasing ‘Sitting Beside’ as the first single since his debut 2025 album Boxing. The indie-folk musician, who is based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, says this single is the beginning of a new act.
Liberty is back with her new single Waiting, out today. Known for writing honest, emotional songs about growing up and heartbreak, this one shows a different side. It’s not about losing someone or things falling apart. It’s about the weird feeling of finding something good and being amazed when it sticking around.
After more than a decade as one of Aotearoa’s most beloved independent music festivals, The Others Way will not return in 2026 or beyond. Organisers Banished Music say the decision comes after years of mounting financial pressure, rising industry costs and an increasingly unstable live music & funding landscape, making the festival no longer sustainable to deliver.
A new waiata from Te Karanga Trust rising artists, Revolution, has been released to mark Ara Taiohi Youth Week 2026 (18–24 May) — a nationwide moment recognising the impact, creativity, and leadership of rangatahi across Aotearoa. Revolution stands as Youth Week in action, demonstrating what can happen when young people are trusted to lead, supported to create, and given the space to express themselves authentically.
Bring your people, your friends, your whānau — and be part of something special. For audiences across Hawke’s Bay—from the arts community to iwi and whānau—this is more than a concert. It’s a chance to come together, to feel something real, and to experience music that connects deeply to culture, identity, and shared stories.
Hannah Virk’s EP Love Watches presents love songs in four different forms, likened to examining love from four sides of a prismatic cube. Which would you choose? The bold and daring Love Storage, set to an entrancing beat, the classic romantic Love Later with sweeping tones of the electric guitar or the upbeat dream pop which permeates her debut album Upstairs/Downstairs in Need You PtII.
Marking her first collaboration, Bengali-NZ singer-songwriter Sabreen reimagines her 2025 song for Palestine ‘The End’ with an Arabic twist, featuring local Palestinian activist and artist Rana Hamida, as she sets sail for Gaza on the second Global Sumud Flotilla.
After hitting #1 with both singles on the Top 10 95bFM, topping the RadioScope Alt charts and Student Radio charts, Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s crooked alt-country-rock Menzies release their highly-anticipated part-concept debut album + vinyl pressing - ‘Holding My Cold Hand, Even Though Yours Is Warm’, out today, and announce a full NZ tour in July and August.
Ōtautahi-based Indie-folk musician Just Janie is entering a new era with her debut album Mythology of the Girls. A reaction to nostalgia through a modern lens, the album pays homage to the folk scene of the late sixties and early seventies and deconstructs the rose-tinted perspective for the era where women faced a myriad of societal limitations.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s BADTAB are carving out their own kaleidoscopic corner of the music world. Weaving together synthesisers and swirling guitar strums with rock-inflected, jazz inspired drum beats, BADTAB creates a unique and refreshing sound. The neo-psychedelic project of Ethan Downing (Vox & Gat), Hamish Mckinley (Drums), Manaaki Tibble (Bass), Kahukuranui Hunter-brown (keys) and Louis Nixon (synths), has been turning heads since their formation in 2022, quickly establishing themselves as one of Wellington’s exciting emerging acts.
WHO SHOT SCOTT reasserts his presence as a genre-blurring hip-hop artist and producer on ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ – a high-octane, UKG-laced cut that signals a pivotal turning point in his forthcoming debut album HAIRY.
